Steel wool machine



Jan. 17, 1933. w. H. Roial'alNsA ET AL 1,894,447

STEEL WOL MACHINE y Filed March 24, 1928 7 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR www; A TTORNEYS Jan. 17, 1933.` w. H. RoBBlNs ET AL STEEL wool. MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 24, 1923 1N VENTO/e B Y SF @oe/Um,

j g j g .ATTORNEYS E 5 G wv; wh! vm) @mi l A f W MR M WR w. H. RcBBlNs ET AL STEEL wooL MACHINE Filed Maron 24, 1928 Jan. 17, 1933.

#W TTORNEYS Jim- 17, 1933 w. H. RoBBlNs ET AL 1,894,447

STEEL wooL MACHINE" Filed March 24, 1928 v sheets-sheet 4 6 l 7 J'G\ gl /NVENOR Jan. 17, l933- w. H. RoBBlNs ET Al. 1,894,447

STEEL wooL MACHINE Filed March 24, 1928 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 H o I y L L LL LLL L L# L J w E n 1 O: S L* i* l 1 u l I E 9 t J /NVENTo/a MKM/m, J

BY @dwf/wma? Mba/+Mw ATTORNEYS Jan. 17, 1933. w. H. RoBBlNs ET AL ,1,894,447

STEEL wooL MACHINE Filed March 24, 1928 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 v u y l A A INVENTOR f' Mw/m# www r-w Patented Jan. 17, 1933 A 11,894,44rI

UNITED STATES 'PATENT' oFFIcE x WILLum n. Romains AND nanonn F. BoEHLE'a, Jn., onsrnnmrrmm, omo, Assrenonsro THE WILLIAMS COMPANY, or LONDON, oHIo, a conrom'non or omo STEEL WOCL MACHINE Application mea laren 24, 192s. semi 1ro. 284,413.

Our invention relates to steel wool machines.

It is the object of our invention to provide a steel wool machine adapted to employ a single continuous wire which passes through the machine once only, and which is cut down to its minimum size after having passedv through the machine, at which time it is cut olf in sections. New lengths of wire are supplied to the machine by welding, or otherwise, attaching thel new wire to the end of the old wire as it enters the machine.

lof small size, or two synchronized driving sheaves of the same size, but we have found that a material advantage can be secured by driving only one sheave as that eliminates the problem of synchronizing the two sheaves, but more important still, by our invention of a single sheave being driven we can get the application of the power over a broader area with a minimum of bending of the wires by using the larger power-driven sheave and by concentrating the application of the power at one part of the loop ofthe wire.

We get the further advantage of being able to utilize a plurality of such machines in series, the elevation of the larger sheave being such as to permit the easy conveying of the wire over the machine in'which it has been worked upon to the next adjacent machine. It also results in elevating the loops of wire above the machine bed, away from -loops of wire have their sldes closely the neighborhood of the operator, to permit of mechanism being employed, operated and adjusted in a manner not ossible when the ad'acent to the tool bed f the machine. 'J

By our invention we are enabled to employ any number of units, traveling in synchronism with one another, with adequate supply and take-olf mechanism to maintain the proper tension.

It is a further object to provide a tool holding mechanism that is so arranged as to give a readily accessible, fine, vertical adjustment of micrometer character, coupled with a lateral adjustment and an angular adjust- 00 ment for the cutting tools with respect to the wires.A

It is a, further object to provide in such a. combination ioating guides for the wires to accommodate the decreasing size of the wire 5 and to always present a lat surface of the wire to the cutting` tool in order` to insure uniformity of wool. i It will be understood in the steel wool industry that a machine is only successful to 7 the extent that it makes wool of uniform grade and ineness, according to its setting, and this wool should be inA continuous strands of appreciable length. In a machine which produces wool not complying with 75 these conditions,h the production is theoretical Aand is not successful. Referring to the drawings:

purely Figure 1 is a side elevation of the left-hand 80 side of a composite machine. Y

Figure 2 is a right-hand side of the of end of the composite machine.

Figure 3 is a top machine units.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of 011e of 85 such units in detail, partially broken away to show the driving gearing.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view in detail of one section of the machine, showingthe looped wires and the overlapping tools.

plan view ofl one of the Figure 6 is a section-on the'line 6-6 of Figure 4.

igure 7 isl a side elevation of one of the tool supports and adjusting mechanism,

partially broken away.

Fi re 8 is an enlarged sectionthrough one-of the floating guides, looped wires and an end elevation of one of the cutting tools engaging said wires.

10 Figure 9 is a top plan view of the arrangement of the wires as they arelooped from 'sheave to sheave. l

Figure 10 is a bottom plan view thereof; Figure 11 is a detail side elevation of the take-oil and cutting mechanism cutting the wire in sections.

Figure 12 is an end elevation thereof.

' Figure 13 is an enlarged section ofthe cut-oil mechanism.

Figure 14 isa section on the line 14-14 of Figure 7. 1 l

Figure 15 is a top plan view of the tool support and tool with the tool supporting arm 59 in section on the line 15-15 4of Figure 7.

'Figure 16 is a section on the line 16-16 of Figure 6J and shows the intermediate rollers and their retaining clips in elevation.

Figure 17 is a section onthe line 17-17 of Figure 16 and shows the method of attaching the retaining clips to the intermediate rollers.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 indicates end posts which are joined together at the bottom by horizontal members 2, and

at the top by horizontal bed members 3.

These posts carry at either end respectively a relatively large driving drum 4 and a relatively small idler drum 5. The lower faces of these drums are in the same plane, such plane being slightly below the bed 3 so that the loops of wire will pass beneath the bed, which loops are looped over the drums 4 and 5.

The drum 4 is driven by a power shaft 6, actuated by a pulley 7, a belt 8 and a motor The shaft 6 drives the drum 4 through a worm ,10 on the shaft 6 and a Worm gear 11 on the drum 4, both of which gears are incased in a casing 12.

As it may be desirable to use a plurality of steel wool units, the driving drum of each unit is connected together by the shaft 6 s that they are driven in synchronism.

'The supply mechanism consists of a drum of wire 13 carried in a supporting rack 14 with suitable brake mechanism applied to the drum as desired through the brake arm 15 to regulate the speed of the supply drum 13.-

From this drum passes the wire 16 to the top of the driving drum 4, whence it passes to the idle drum 5, under that drum, under the table 3 in engagement with the cutting tools 17 and thence beneath the driving drum B5 4, over it, and back again to the idle drum .beneath it and fifteen loops, which are spanned by the 'comf 5, making a group of fifteen loops. The exact number may vary, but this is one number of loops that we have found satisfactory because it provides the proper number ef loops to span a conventional 2-inch cutting tool 17` so that the one tool will bridge the one group of loops of the wire.

The wire then passes laterally, as indicated at 18, from the topof the driving drum 4 to the top of the idle drum 5, where it passes erforms another group of mon cutting tools 17. rlhe wire thence passes,

as at 19, to the next adjacent driving drum of the next adjacent unit. p

The wire then continues through any numi ber of such machines until it makes its exit,

as at 20, where it passes between the takeoii friction rolls 21 and,22, which are geared together by the gears 23 and 24. These gears are driven by the belt 25, actuated by the motor 26. These gearsand take-0E drums are mounted in spaced frame members 27,

which are connected together by the shafts 28 and 29. ln these frame members the upper shaft 29 is slidably mounted in'theblocks 30 and spring pressed downwardly by the springs 31 in order to accommodatefor the inequalities of the size of thewire, and to provide slipping or clutch mechanism so that the pull on the wire may not exceed a predei termined amount. Y

The wire end 20 thus having been removed from the machine lis passed between a similarpair of gear-connected take-of drums, the rollers 32 and 33 geared together by the gears 34 and 35 and supported in uprights 36. The u per roller 32 has a similar spring mechamsm 30 and 31 as the upper roller and the other pair of take-off rollers. The four rollers are geared together with respect to the lintermediate pinion 37, carried onthe frame member 38. The two spaced frame members 38 are connected by horizontal frame members-39 and 40.

The last-mentioned rolls 32 and 33 are rovided with a sliding cutting knife 41, w ich travels along the edge of a cutting block y42 and projects into a slotl 43, such block and This provides for chopping opthewire in lengths of given size. l

Returning to the cutting machine for producing the wool, and particularly to Figures 5 and 6, 7 and 8, it will be noted that the eing contained in a lower roller33.

bed 3 of the machine is provided with a pair I of spaced arcuate cut-away portions 44, in

`which rotate semi-circular guide members 45 that are suspended on pins 46 projecting upwardly through enlarged slots 47 in the tool bed 3. These pins 46 are spring suspended by springs 48 from, pins 49 on cross members 50, which are in turnsupported by the standards 51 mounted on the bed 3 at intervals.

The bottoms of these wire guides 45 are naamw lprovided with a plurality-,of grooves 52 for receivin each wire. The cutting tool 17 is located low'these wires and spans the group of fifteen loops of wire guided by each guide member 45. The spring 48 tends lto pull` this guide upwardly against the intermediate rollers 53, which are interposed be-v which are threadedon the upper ends of thei pins 49 and rest upon the upper surface of (the plates 5'0.

In order to support the tool 17 we provide depending laterally, inwardly extending supports of the following character. On the sides of the bed 3 we mount an upwardly extending sleeve 55, which'is bolted by the bolts 56 tothe sides of the bed 3.- Under the edges of this sleeve, which are in the form of flanges 57, we also place shims in order to locate laterally the sleeve in its exact adjustment.

This sleeve is provided with an angular passageway 58 having two faces for receivi-nga square shaft 59 of the tool holder, the other two square faces ofvwhich are received in a complementary angular groove in the side wall of the bed 3.

The upper end of this tool Aholder 59 is of lesser diameter and threaded as at 60, and has mounted on it a micrometer nut 61, which rests `upon the upper side of the sleeve 5,5,J and the bed 3, and is retained beneath an overlap-y ping strap 62 ,which surrounds the thread 60 at some distance from it and passes to either i side thereof, Where it has ears 63 which are held by bolts 64 to the upper edge of the bed 3.

The rotation'of the nut 61 serves to determine the elevation of the tool holder 59, while the square shank of the tool holder ittin in the square groove prevents its rotation.

n the lower end of this tool holder is mounted pivotally a tool holder arm. This pivotal mounting is on the bolt or pivot 65, While the adjustment of this pivotal support is effected by the set screws 66 working in the slotf67, which screws being mounted in the endof the tool holder 59.

The free end of this arm 68 is so arranged that a dove-tail groove 69 is provided so that the tool slide may be adjustably positioned on'the arm 68 by the bolt 70 and nut 71.

The tool itself is mounted in a groove or slide 72 in the tool slide 73, which is so positioned in thesslide 69 by the bolt 70. -In this groove 72 is mounted the tool 17 and retained in position by the locating bolt 74.

Thus in this tool holder we are enabled to get a vertical adjustment through the nut 61 of very 'fine character, an angular adjustmentthrough the set screw 66, a lateral adjustment through the bolt as the slot 75 in the arm 68 permits of fore and aft positioning with respect to the wire of the-arm 73 known Y as the tool'slide arm. Y f

We desire to comprehend within our in#A vention such modifications as may be clearly embraced within our claims and the scope ofl our invention.

Havingthus fully described our inventio whatwe claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a steel wool machine', a frame having a bed,1supporting means for carrying loops lof wire passing adjacent the surface of saidv bed andmaintaining them in predetermined position with respect to the cutting means carried by the bed, said supporting means Aconsisting of an arcuate support having `a grooved face for engaging with the Wires, a pin connected to said support passing through said bed, and yielding means carried on said bed connected to said pin to restrict the lateral movement of the supporting means with respect to the bed.

2. In a steel wool machine, a frame having a bed, supporting means for carrying loops of wire passing adjacent the surface of said bed and maintaining them in predetermined position with respect to the cutting means carried by the bed, said supporting means consisting of an arcuate support having a grooved face for engaging with the wires, a pin connected to said support passing through saidbed, and yielding means carried on said bed connected to said pin to restrict the lateral movement of the supporting means within respect to the bed, and antifriction roller means interposed between said wire supporting means and the bed, said yielding means tending to maintain the antifriction means in engagement with the wire supporting means and the bed.

3. In a steel wool machine, a bed adapted to have a plurality of wires passin adjacent the faces thereof, a depending an" laterally inwardly extending cutting means, holder and cutting means mounted thereon engaging said wires, pressing the said wires towards the bed, a rockingvwire support means engaging the other sides of the wires having positoning grooves in the face thereof oppositely disposed from said cutting means, and

yielding means carried by said bed connected to said wire supporting -means to limit its rocking on the bed consisting' of a pin connected to said wire supporting means passing through said bed freely, and a bracket having a helical spring connected to said p'n.

4. In a steel wool machine, a bed adapted to have a plurality of wires passing adjacent the faces thereof, a depending and'laterally inwardly extending holder means, cutting means mounted thereon engaging said 4Wires, .pressing the sa`d wlres towards the bed, a

rocking wire support means engaging the other sides of the wires having positioning grooves in the face thereof oppositely disisol posed lfrom saidcuttin' means, and yielding .means carried by said ed connected to said wire support means to Vlimit its rocking on the bed consisting of a pin connected to said l wirejskup ort means passing through said bed j freely, al racket having a helical spring conmeans mounted thereon engaging said wires,

pressing the said wires towards the bed, a

rochng wire support means engaging the other sides of the wires having positioning grooves in the face thereof oppositely disposed from said cutting means, and yielding means carried by said bed connected to said wire supportmeans to limit its rocking on the bed consisting of a pin connected to said wire support means passing through said bed freely, av bracket having a helical spring connecte between said wire support means and the bed, and adjusting means for adjusting the tension on said sprin 6. ln a steel wool machine, a bed adapted to have a plurality of wires passing adjacent the faces thereof, a depending and laterally inwardly extending holder means, cutting means mounted thereon engaging said wires,

pressing the said wires towards the bed, a rocking wire support means engaging the other sides of the wires having positioning grooves in the face thereof oppositely disposed from said cutting means, and yielding means carried by said bed connected to said wire support means to limit its rocking on the bed consisting of a pin connected to said wire support means passing through said bed freely, a bracket having a helical spring connected to said pin, anti-friction means between said wire support means and the bed, adjusting means for adjusting the tension on said spring, and means for adjusting the position of the wire cutting means vertically with respect to said wires.

7. ln a steel wool machine, a bed adapted to have a plurality of loops of-wire supported in parallel relationship with respect to said bed, spaced supporting means between.

said wires and said bed adapted to rock on said bed, yielding means for limiting said rocking, and cutting means engaging said wires beneath said supporting means whereby the tension on said wires will yieldingly maintain said wires in engagement with said cutting means and said supporting means.

8. AIn a steel wool machine, a bed adapted to have a plurality of loops of wire supported in parallel relationship with respect to said bed, spaced supporting means between said wires and said bed adapted to rock on said bed, yielding means for limiting said rockwires and said to said pin, anti-friction means meegaat' ing, cuttin means engaging -said4 wires be spaced supprting means between said d adapted to rock on\said` bed, yielding means` for limiting said rocking, cutting meansA engaging said wires beneath said supporting means whereby the p tension on said wires will yieldingly maintain said wires in engagement with said cutting means 'and supporting means, means for adjusting the engagement of said cutting means with respect to said wires, and means for adjusting the rocking of the supporting means on said wires.

10. ln a steel wool machine consisting of a plurality of units for having a single continuous wire fed therethrough, means for supplying said wire, means for taking oli' said Wire under tension, means in each unit for supporting said 'wire in a plurality of loops in each unit, an idler drum for supporting the loops in each unit, a powerdriven drum for supporting the loops of each unit, cutting means for spanning and engaging each group of loops in each unit, and common means for driving the power driven drums of each unit synchronously, said power driven drums of each unit being of materially larger size than the idler drums whereby .the wire when passed from one power driven drum or one unit to another will pass above and clear the idler drum of the adjacent unit.

11. In a -steel wool machine, a frame adapted to carry wire, a depending shaft non-rotatabl mounted but vertically slidable in said rame, a micrometer screw, a nut for adjusting the vertical position of said shaft, an arm adjustably and rotatably mounted onthe free end of said shaft, means for adjusting the angularity of said arm with respect to said shaft, a tool slide on said arm, and means on said tool slide for adjustably supporting a cutting knife, all of said adjustments being such that said knife may be adjusted inwardly and outwardly with res ect to said frame, adjusted an ularly wit respect to said frame anda justed longitudinally of said fram-e.

12. In a steel wool machine, a frame adapted to carry wire, a depending shaft non-rotatably mounted but Avertically slidable in said frame, a'micrometer screw, a nut for adjusting the vertical position of said shaft, an arm adjustably and rotatably mounted on the free end of said shaft, means for adjusting the angularity lof said arm with respect to said shaft, a tool slide on said arm, means on said tool slide for adjustably supporting a cutting knife all of said adjustments being such that said knife may be adjusted inwardly and outwardly with respect to said frame, adjusted angularly with respect to said `frame and adjusted longitudinally of said frame, adjustable means for adjusting the wear on said micrometer nut, and adjustable means for adjusting the wear on the slide of said shaft.

In testimony whereof, we aiix our signatures.

WILLIAM I-I. ROBBINS. RAYMOND F. BOEHLER, JR. 

